I don't know, maybe this is just me, but, it might help to remove the pejorative association with this kind of work by engaging with these people in good faith, acknowledging the fruits of their efforts, and treating them as collaborators rather than adversaries. - ThreadSky

aaronjfisher.bsky.social • 46 days ago

I don't know, maybe this is just me, but, it might help to remove the pejorative association with this kind of work by engaging with these people in good faith, acknowledging the fruits of their efforts, and treating them as collaborators rather than adversaries.

Reposted from Brian Nosek

The terms for researchers examining potential violations of research integrity are bad (data police, data thug).

What is an alternative term that:

* doesn't imply anything about the intentions of the people who did the work being investigated (deliberate or accidental)

more>>

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ashleylwatts.bsky.social•46 days ago

Yeah, it’s almost likely purposefully humiliating people to gain clout among niche online communities couldn’t possibly effect widespread behavior change!

lmweinstock.bsky.social•46 days ago

It wasn’t in the context of open science, per se, but this all reminds me of what happened to Amy Cuddy with her online critics, back in the day. It went way beyond respectful dialogue around the science. It became focused on the person. 😔

aaronjfisher.bsky.social•46 days ago

That's the other side of it, but an absolutely fair point. We shouldn't tear down and denigrate the data sleuths, but we also (very much) should not turn data sleuthing into character assassination. No doubt.

firecrow8.bsky.social•42 days ago

It was, and it's so common. A polite complainer is not taken seriously, but a loud one has a bad attitude so they must be worth ignoring as well.

Lets give researchers the benefit of the doubt by considering the spirit of their research, "unproven" is not the goal of science.

noahemery.bsky.social•46 days ago

Dr. Watts you always say what I’m thinking.

noahemery.bsky.social•46 days ago

Honest question, is the position that the investigators should view them as collaborators or that the data police should view the investigators as collaborators?

solomonkurz.bsky.social•46 days ago

Good question. I found Aaron's wording a little vague, too.

aaronjfisher.bsky.social•46 days ago

I am sub tweeting the OP, who behaved in the ways I'm invoking in response to a thorough and good faith call out.

drandreahoward.bsky.social•46 days ago

I do wonder if the high profile examples we’ve seen are a reasonable cross-section of what’s actually happening in most cases. IMO data sleuths are just people engaging in a kind of exploratory research, but because there’s career threat attached to the work we get this antagonistic framing.

aaronjfisher.bsky.social•46 days ago

I'm operating at a much more proximal level in my OP. I'm just saying, if thou talkest the talk, thou shoudst walketh the walk. Leadership is shown through doing more than saying. And that's all I'm saying.

noahemery.bsky.social•46 days ago

I kinda think use of the term “sleuth” is self-evident of their intent. If we were talking data verification, that’d be a different story.

Not to mention the culture, as best described by Dr. H, lends itself to these kinds of perceptions.
https://bsky.app/profile/laurenshallion.bsky.social/post/3leu4sfouj422

aaronjfisher.bsky.social•46 days ago

I don't want to squash a public discussion that happens to be playing out on my post, but this is all pretty far from where I'm coming from. An OS 'leader' published an OS paper that had incorrect and misleading statements. An ECR professionally, dispassionately brought *detailed* attention to it.

jbakcoleman.bsky.social•46 days ago

The sleuths in that thread when we published the matters arising. Good to see them back, I guess.

jbakcoleman.bsky.social•46 days ago

A bit more seriously, I find it really strange how little interest there is in collectively sorting out what happened with this paper. It’s one thing that the authors aren’t in collaboration mode, but another when the community of forensic-sleuth-cops-whatever just disappears from the discourse.

aaronjfisher.bsky.social•46 days ago

More misleading statements followed. The ECR was publicly maligned. There was very little accountability. I thought people would have been more aware of this situation. I think my post is less vague if you have this in mind. That's all.

devezer.bsky.social•46 days ago

I also would have thought this situation would bring a little more awareness (including self-awareness) but feels like it was ultimately swept under the rug and everyone moved on as if it was a glitch or something. Funny when compared to, say, the case of Cuddy where she ended up losing her job.

laurenshallion.bsky.social•46 days ago

I think the issue isn’t that data police deserve more respect — it’s that folks *willing to challenge up the hierarchy* need and deserve more protection and respect. It used to be that #OpenScience™️ were the underdogs, so that rule applied, but that isn’t the case now, and hasn’t been for years.

jasonchin.bsky.social•46 days ago

I think most people behave in the respectful way you are describing. You might be overly persuaded by a few examples. In any case, this requires more of the nuance I often hear called for.

laurenshallion.bsky.social•46 days ago

The problem with the data police is that they’re self-professed heroes with no insight into the damage they cause. Even slight breaks from the party line lead to pile-ons of aggressive white men. I can name on one hand the people brave and privileged enough to risk it. Far more harm than good imo.

infotainment.bsky.social•46 days ago

Would love to collect examples of the pile-ons and the brave people for an ongoing study of this topic (DMs are open, my mind too).

kevinvschie.bsky.social•46 days ago

Hear hear! My impression is that most researchers do the best they can. They may sometimes forget something or make a mistake but I doubt it’s often with bad intentions.

infotainment.bsky.social•46 days ago

@irenepasquetto.bsky.social @joelchan86.bsky.social

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